Part One: The First Term of Andrew Jackson (1828-1832)
Alright, I've been here for about a year, and I've built up a few timeline ideas in my head and on my computer through those days. So I figured I'd post a timeline here and see what you all think. It will be posted in a history book-ish style, as I'm not much of a person to go into very much detail about something. Anyway, here goes.
Union and Liberty: A History of America
Part One: The First Term of Andrew Jackson (1828-1832)
The Tariff of Abominations and the Southern Reaction:
In 1828, President John Quincy Adams passed a tariff increase to help American manufacturers compete with their European counterparts. This sealed Adams' fate in the Election of 1828 as Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun put reducing the tariff as part of their running platform.[1] Jackson beat out Adams in the election with 178 or 68% of the electoral votes. With the election won Jackson and Calhoun were sworn into the White House on March 4, 1829.
The Nullification Crisis:
After Jackson's ascension to the Presidency, South Carolina declared a right to nullify the Tariff of Abominations. Jackson opposed the nullification, but did not want to cause a confrontation with Calhoun as Calhoun had openly supported South Carolina's position on the tariff, and a fissure between the President and the Vice President would not help to strengthen the Union. Jackson also sympathized with the southern side of the debate to some degree. On April 13, 1830, at the Democratic Party celebration of Thomas Jefferson's birthday, a series of toasts would emphasize each member's position on the issue. When it came to Jackson, he raised his glass and said, "Our Federal Union: It must be preserved." Calhoun spoke next, and stated "Union and Liberty, our two most dear."[2] Calhoun's toast echoed the closing remarks by Daniel Webster during an earlier debate on the issue of Nullification. While the toasts showed the differing opinions between the President and the Vice President, it also showed their willingness to work together to preserve the United States.
In the summer of 1830, Jackson declared that he would reduce tariff levels to appease South Carolina and attempt an end to the Nullification Crisis, but he and Calhoun disagreed on how far to lower the tariffs. Calhoun wanted to lower tariffs immediately to below the levels before the Tariff of 1828 was passed, while Jackson wanted to gradually lower tariffs to somewhere in between the 1816 levels and the levels of the Tariff of Abominations. During talks in Congress, the two sides agreed to gradually reduce tariffs to the levels of the Tariff of 1824 over the next three years.
Arkansaw Statehood:
In 1831, the state of Arkansaw was admitted to the United States, becoming the 25th state.
The Election of 1832:
With their friendship restored, Jackson and Calhoun won the nominations for President and Vice President for the Democratic Party in 1832. Henry Clay was nominated as the Presidential candidate for the National Republican Party. The main issue during the election was the Second Bank of the United States, which Clay was in favor of and Jackson was against. Jackson had vetoed a renewal of the bank's charter during his first term as President, and convinced much of the populace during his campaign in 1832 that the bank was unnecessary and would lead to an elite. His appearance as the Common Man continued, and he won the election of 1832 with a landslide victory.
Under Jackson and Calhoun, the Democratic Party swept the south and the west, as well as much of the northeast. The Democratic Party achieved 190 electoral votes out of a possible 289, gaining 65% of the votes. Clay managed to win Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, and Maryland, earning the National Republicans 32% of the electoral vote. Vermont was won by the small Anti-Masonic Party led by William Wirt, but this minor party soon faded. Jackson and Calhoun were inaugurated and took office for a second term on January 21, 1833.
[1] In OTL, this was not part of Jackson's platform.
[2] Calhoun's toast in OTL was "The Union; next to our liberty, the most dear." This event showed the rift that had grown between Jackson and Calhoun that would lead to Jackson picking Van Buren as his VP for 1832.
Union and Liberty: A History of America
Part One: The First Term of Andrew Jackson (1828-1832)
The Tariff of Abominations and the Southern Reaction:
In 1828, President John Quincy Adams passed a tariff increase to help American manufacturers compete with their European counterparts. This sealed Adams' fate in the Election of 1828 as Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun put reducing the tariff as part of their running platform.[1] Jackson beat out Adams in the election with 178 or 68% of the electoral votes. With the election won Jackson and Calhoun were sworn into the White House on March 4, 1829.
The Nullification Crisis:
After Jackson's ascension to the Presidency, South Carolina declared a right to nullify the Tariff of Abominations. Jackson opposed the nullification, but did not want to cause a confrontation with Calhoun as Calhoun had openly supported South Carolina's position on the tariff, and a fissure between the President and the Vice President would not help to strengthen the Union. Jackson also sympathized with the southern side of the debate to some degree. On April 13, 1830, at the Democratic Party celebration of Thomas Jefferson's birthday, a series of toasts would emphasize each member's position on the issue. When it came to Jackson, he raised his glass and said, "Our Federal Union: It must be preserved." Calhoun spoke next, and stated "Union and Liberty, our two most dear."[2] Calhoun's toast echoed the closing remarks by Daniel Webster during an earlier debate on the issue of Nullification. While the toasts showed the differing opinions between the President and the Vice President, it also showed their willingness to work together to preserve the United States.
In the summer of 1830, Jackson declared that he would reduce tariff levels to appease South Carolina and attempt an end to the Nullification Crisis, but he and Calhoun disagreed on how far to lower the tariffs. Calhoun wanted to lower tariffs immediately to below the levels before the Tariff of 1828 was passed, while Jackson wanted to gradually lower tariffs to somewhere in between the 1816 levels and the levels of the Tariff of Abominations. During talks in Congress, the two sides agreed to gradually reduce tariffs to the levels of the Tariff of 1824 over the next three years.
Arkansaw Statehood:
In 1831, the state of Arkansaw was admitted to the United States, becoming the 25th state.
The Election of 1832:
With their friendship restored, Jackson and Calhoun won the nominations for President and Vice President for the Democratic Party in 1832. Henry Clay was nominated as the Presidential candidate for the National Republican Party. The main issue during the election was the Second Bank of the United States, which Clay was in favor of and Jackson was against. Jackson had vetoed a renewal of the bank's charter during his first term as President, and convinced much of the populace during his campaign in 1832 that the bank was unnecessary and would lead to an elite. His appearance as the Common Man continued, and he won the election of 1832 with a landslide victory.
Under Jackson and Calhoun, the Democratic Party swept the south and the west, as well as much of the northeast. The Democratic Party achieved 190 electoral votes out of a possible 289, gaining 65% of the votes. Clay managed to win Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, and Maryland, earning the National Republicans 32% of the electoral vote. Vermont was won by the small Anti-Masonic Party led by William Wirt, but this minor party soon faded. Jackson and Calhoun were inaugurated and took office for a second term on January 21, 1833.
[1] In OTL, this was not part of Jackson's platform.
[2] Calhoun's toast in OTL was "The Union; next to our liberty, the most dear." This event showed the rift that had grown between Jackson and Calhoun that would lead to Jackson picking Van Buren as his VP for 1832.
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